Fastener installation



June 1 1942 Q w. c. M EADDEN 2,286,991

FASTENER INSTALLATION Filed July 10 1940 I ave-35502":

' wigbzda MacFukien.

6y WWJUAOL flay I Patented June 16, 194 2 FASTENER INSTALLATION Wilford C. MacFadden, Philadelphia, Pa., as-

signor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation,

Cambridge, Mass" a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 10, 1940, Serial No. 344,645

3 Claims.

my improved fastener member in position to receive and grip a plug member;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the installation shown in Fig. 1 with the parts turned 90;

Fig. 3 is a view similarto Fig. 2 and showing the fastener member in gripping engagement with a plug member;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 1 and showing the manner in which my improved fastener member grips the plug member;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of my improved fastener per se; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the fastener shown in Fi 5.

Referring in detail to the drawing, I have shown a preferred use of my invention in connection wiht a plug' and socket installation wherein a socket member is secured on one side of a supporting panel and my improved fastener member is secured on an opposite side of the panel in position to grip the base of a plug member such as a vacuum tube to maintain the plug member in connection with the socket member. Although I have chosen to illustrate my improved fastener member in connection with an installation of this type, it is understood that the fastener'is readily adaptable to use in connection with other installations for securing parts in assembly. Referring to the component parts of my preferred installation as illustrated in the drawing, I have provided a relatively thin supporting panel I having an opening 2 therein. A socket member 3 is secured to the lower surface 4 of the panel I. The socket member 3 may be of any suitable construction, but I have preferred to show, for purposes of illustration, a socket member of the laminated type having a pair of superposed insulating plates 5 and 6. The socket member is secured to the support through means of rivets 1 extending therethrough. The rivets 55 I, in my preferred installation, also serve to secure my improved fastener member to the panel l in a manner hereinafter described. The insulating plates 5 and 6 have aligned central openings 8 (Fig. 4), preferably of non-circular shape, for receiving a non-circular guide prong of a cooperating tube member and the plates have a series of aligned terminal-receiving openings 9 (Fig. 1) disposed around the central opening 8 for receiving prong terminals of the tube member. Socket contacts (not shown) are provided as partof the socket member and may be of any suitable construction to provide terminal-engaging portions disposed between the insulating plates 5 and 6 in alignment with the openings 9 in a manner well known in the art.

A plug member is provided for electrical cooperation with the socket member and is preferably in the form of a vacuum tube ill having a circular composition base ll of predetermined diameter. upper surface'l2 of the panel I when the parts are in assembly and provides a circular series of prong terminals l3 which extend through the opening 2 of the panel I into the terminal-receiving openings 9 of the socket member. A central guide prong l4 extends from the base II and is adapted to be received within the openings R of the socketmember to assure proper engagement of the tube and socket contacts. The tube member I0 is held in assembly with the socket member against displacement by accidental jar or vibration through means of my improved fastener member I5 secured to the upper surface I2 of the panel I and providing resilient portions automatically engaging the tube base II when the parts are moved into electrical connection to hold the tube in assembly with the socket member.

Thefastener member 15 is preferably stamped from a single piece of spring metal material and provides a ring-shaped portion of greater width than thickness surrounding an aperture I6. The ring memberhas a pair of diametrically opposed fiat portions il-l'l which lie in substantially the same plane. Each of the flat portions I! has an aperture I8 (Fig. 5) for receiving a rivet l wherein the ring member is secured in fixed engagement with the supporting panel I, as most clearly shown in Fig. 1. Portions l9-'-l9 of the ring member intermediate the flat portions ll-Il are bent to take an offset position relative to the nor-' mal plane of the portions l1 whereby the diameter of the aperture l6 through-the offset portrons I9 is normally less than the diameter of The base H substantially abuts the ings 8 of thesocket member.

are in this position, the tube base II engages themally oval-shaped aperture it. As a result of i this construction, wherein the portions lQ-IB are offset, they ,lie normally in a plane which is biased with respect to the plane of the flat portions t'l-l 1.

In assembling the tube with the guide prong I4 is first extended into the open- When the parts broad upper surfaces of the offset portions When the tube is moved in the direction of the socket member under manual pressure, the offset portions lS-IS of the ring member are forced downwardly and outwardly until the diameter of the aperture ii of the ring member through the offset portions Iii-l9 is greater than the diameter of the tube base II and the aperture becomes more nearly round; Thus the base ll may be moved through the opening l6 into final position insubstantial abutment to the panel i and the offset portions l9--I9, as a result of their inherent resiliency, then tend to .return to normal position and grip the base il so that the tube and socket are'positively engaged. Full return is prevented by reason of the base i I being disposed therebetween and consequently the inner edges of the portions Iii-l9 resiliently engage the sides of the base, as most clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The ofiset portions plane through the base I i, as most clearly shown in Fig. 4, and, as aresult, operate to resist any forces tending to the socket.

Thus by my invention I have provided a. fastener member of simple and inexpensive construction adapted to be secured to a supporting part and operable to maintain firmly an article of manufacture. such as a vacuum tube, in fixed position relative to the supporting part. Intentional displacement of the vacuum tube or the like from the fastener member may be accomplished by manually forcing the offset portions of the fastener toward the supporting structure so as to enlarge the oval ring opening across the narrowest part thereby permitting the tube'to be easily withdrawn.

pull the plug member out of.

' article and comprising a flexible ring member the socket member one side of said support; of a fastener member attached to the side of the support receiving the formed with opposed base portions for attachment to said support, and substantially semicircular wing portions extending outwardly and angularly from opposite sides of said. base por-- .opening, said wing portions in said tensioned i9--l9 are biased with respect to a transverse position resiliently gripping said article and rearticle and flexed thereby through the opening,

said wing portions in said tensioned position resiliently gripping said article, and resisting I withdrawal of the article from the opening. 1

3. In a fastenerinstallation of the type described, in combination with asupport and a plug adapted for attachment to said support; of a one;piece fastener member of flexible material located wholly on one side of said-support, said fastener member comprising a single ring of ribbon-like spring metal disposed flatwiseand formed with diametrically opposed support-en- Although I have illustrated and described a' preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby because the scope of best. defined by the following with a support and an article for attachment to gaging portions'in fastened engagement with the support and opposed substantially semi-circular wing portions between said support-engaging portions disposed angularly with respect to the plane thereof, said ring members presenting an opening spaced from said support, the faces of said ring member being angularly disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of said plug .and constituting cam surfaces for engagement thereby as said plug is moved axially toward said support, causing flexing of the wing portions by said plug to a tensioned position in which the opening permits passage of the plug therethrough, said wing portions in their tensioned position resiliently gripping said plug and resisting withdrawal of the plug from the opening.

WILFORD C. MACFADDEN.

sisting withdrawal of the article from the open- 15 ing 

